Usually, a professional NBA player's route to the big league involves playing in the NCAA. While there are those who make it from overseas and the G-League, many top prospects go for the traditional collegiate pathway. And among the plethora of Division I schools in the country, some stand out above the rest. Take the University of Kentucky for example.
Kentucky basketball is known as one of the most successful programs in the country. Throughout the years, many Wildcats have had fruitful careers in the NBA, and it shows even to this day. Just in the 2024 All-Star Game, there will be a total of seven former Wildcats playing, which is why Phoenix Suns head coach Frank Vogel is proud of his alma mater.
Upon learning about the feat, Vogel gave praise to none other than Kentucky head coach John Calipari.
“Keep doing what you're doing Coach Cal!” Vogel said, per Forbes Sports' Shane Young.
When told that his former Kentucky Wildcats had seven All-Stars, Frank Vogel gave a shoutout to @UKCoachCalipari and the program for consistently churning out pro talent:
"Keep doing what you're doing Coach Cal!"
— Shane Young (@YoungNBA) February 14, 2024
The Kentucky basketball players playing in Indianapolis this coming weekend are as follows: Anthony Davis, Bam Adebayo, Karl Anthony-Towns, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Tyrese Maxey, Julius Randle and of course, Suns superstar Devin Booker.
Coach Vogel himself was a student manager for the basketball team at Kentucky during his college days, which explains why Phoenix's head coach takes a lot of pride in the continuous success of the program.
The school's winning culture may also be one that Vogel wishes to bring to the city of Phoenix, considering how the Suns franchise has yet to taste a championship. This year, however, with stars such as Booker, Kevin Durant and Bradley Beal leading the way, anything is possible, and Frank Vogel surely wants to make history with the team.
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